I believe this is a heel turn which progresses to a left viennese cross. I was hoping someone may have some tips for smooth control of this sequence and the timing. Help is appreciated!!

Keep your posture vertical and over the moving foot in the heel turn, then get promptly to the right toe so that you can come out into the viennese cross on tie.

Biggest problem with heel turns is when ladies reach into the initial back step with their foot and uppper back, rather than taking their body center back into the step.

promptly to the LEFT toe, I mean

thanks anon. - helpful tip!

Hi Sandra,
To continue the thread you started. The timing of the DRS can be either; S.Q.&.Q OR Q.Q.&.Q. depending on the precede. The continuity of the turn is usually stopped by the lady by leaving the heel turn too early. Although technically not correct, hold on to the heel turn so that you overturn then step 3 becomes more lateral than forward. The gent plays a very important role. The common fault of the gent is to attack step 1 with a strong body rotation. Explain to your partner that you need the strong body rotation over steps 3 and 4 and not on step 1 as you have extra steps to dance. Tell him, slowly in, quickly out. No comments on that last sentence please!

Sandra

You are the lady so do 'nothing' with the 'lower' part of the body except follow the directional intent and timing of the man. Don't question the timing or direction just follow, follow,..with the 'lower' part.

After that it the man's problem.

You could use your upper body's outward, upward and leftward shape/ poise more proactively to lubricate and lighten the movement. Careful not to turn your centre away.

The lady should follower her partner with her body center, not with the lower part of her body. The lower part of her body merely stays naturally under the upper part - or it should, but this is often neglected by those who reach with the feet and destroy their balance and posture as a result.

The rotation of the heel turn needs to continue, but this is done by exiting the heel turn itself promptly, which is to say getting into the ball of the foot and preparing to step out in what is indeed at first a mostly lateral action.

By 'lower' I mean everything from approx around the diaphram and below operating as a 'whole'. Not just the legs as you understood. In one sense the legs almost don't exist and do what they have to do. Again, don't get me wrong here, footwork and leg usage is very important in analysis and study but it is entirely reactionary when you're in the 'zone'.

I don't like the 'follow with the body center' idea because it is generally misunderstood by the uninitiated lady who tend to position it in isolation to the legs and 'upper' body putting everything out of wack and causing exactly the problem you describe so well.

The 'upper' part is also part of this integrated frame but I only referred to it separately to draw attention to the 'modern' idea of the lady using shape and poise proactively to complete movements that the man initiates and that he subsequently 'follows' or reacts to. Hence a great follower for me is more reactive with the 'lower' during the initiation of movements and 'proactive' during the latter completion of the movement.

Hi Rha,
I found your reply to the DRS query very interesting and informative. When you have the time would you please write your thoughts about the application of CBM : How it is achieved and its uses. The reason for this is because I've always found CBM to be an interesting subject and very little has been written about it. Or, is anyone else prepared to continue with the thread of CBM.

There is one popular 'technique' description which says that it is the 'turning or rotating of the opposite side of the body towards the moving leg...' and indeed this is a reasonably accurate observation of what is happening.

To expand on the above. If CBM is an accurate description of a body reaction then the action that produces CBM is 'body swing'. Body swing is produced when at the start of movements you use the supporting leg to progress the side over the supporting leg faster than the moving leg side in such a way that it aids the early linear progression while also assisting the subsequent turn that may follow. While the word body swing may give the impression that it is initiated in the body it is really commenced from the legs. I don't mean swiveling of feet. The legs and feet dance linearly so there is no turn of the feet but the correct usage of the legs/knees/hip joint in combination allow the frame/ partnership to manifest early rotation within itself even though the entire frame/ partnership is progressing linearly.

Even linear movements without turn will benefit from body swing because this is how the body naturally galvanises the entire body in powering a movement.